Study identifies new biomarkers involved in the evolution of canine leishmaniasis patients

Canine leishmaniasis is a systemic disease caused by Leishmania infantum, which may lead to various pathogenic mechanisms affecting various organs and even to the animal’s death. This disease, which is endemic in the Mediterranean basin, Africa, Asia, and South America, is a zoonosis (a disease transmitted from vertebrate animals to persons) - putting more than 350 million people at risk of becoming infected; with dogs being the main infection reservoir for humans.

Researchers from the University of Murcia, in collaboration with the R&D department of Bioiberica’s Animal Health Division, have carried out a study analyzing (for the first time ever) the biomarkers Cupric Reducing Antioxidant Capacity (CUPRAC) and Thiol in dogs with leishmaniasis. Researchers discovered that after a successful treatment, the serum levels of these two markers were significantly increased, along with those of paraoxanase 1. These changes represented not only a reduction in oxidative damage, but were also associated with a decrease in inflammation and renal damage.

To carry out this study, researchers selected a group of dogs with natural Leishmania infection. These dogs were analyzed at onset, and after 30 and 180 days of treatment. The dogs received the standard treatment, consisting in a combination of N-methylglucamine  antimoniate and allopurinol.

The study’s authors highlighted that these findings, which have been published in  Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases[1] , are particularly relevant given that it provides new biomarkers that can be used for monitoring response to treatment in canine leishmaniasis patients. The clinical symptoms of leishmaniasis can be highly varied, and sometimes it can be asymptomatic; therefore, the findings of this research might be key to determine each patient’ response to treatment.

Furthermore, Bioiberica has recently carried out a trial with Impromune in dogs with clinical leishmaniasis. Impromune is a Bioiberica-developed product composed of nucleotides and AHCC. By combining it with N-methylglucamine antimoniate, the results were better than that of the standard treatment, and also prevented certain side effects associated with allopurinol treatment. These results were presented at the latest European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ECVIM) congress, held at Goteborg, Sweden, and will be presented this week at the Southern European Veterinary Conference (SEVC) in Granada. At this latter event, this study was recognized as the best free communication of the congress.